Illuminated-number-plate holder



Nov. 9 1926. 1,606,323

l. SHANKMAN ILLUMINATED NUMBER PLATE HOLDER v F'iled Dec. 30, 1925 nr-munir@ .f f77/U67?, 25074/ [ja/a Wiardi/7mm by A Patented Nov. 9, Y 1926.

YIraiuivrrlaarnn1\TuivnannfPLATE HOLDERV` Application ined December 3o, 1925. serial No. 78,260.

.This invention relates to an illuminated l number plate holder, particularly adapted for use upon motor vehicles, and has for its f object to provide a device of the character mentioned and constructed in the form of a casing, the latter embodying therein a central stationary member and a pairv of oppositely disposed end members, each of the latter being mounted to slide longitudinally upon the central casing member in a manner to permit number plates of dierent lengths to be mounted within the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide the casing members with grooved por tions at the front thereof, all of which align with each other in a manner to receive the perforated number plate, a sheet of isinglass i in front of the number plate and plates of colored. glass at the rear of the .number plate,

there preferably being a plate of red glass behind a portion of the number plate, and a plate of of the remainder of the number plate, it .being a purpose of the invention to utilize that portion of the number plate displaying a red light as the'tail light for the motor vehicle.

It is still further an object of the invention to connect a dash light in series rwith the electric light bulbs that are utilized to illuminate the casing at the reary of the perforated number plates, said dash light always being lit when the number plates are illuminated, thereby constituting a tell-tale light to inform the. driver of the motor vehicle that his number plates are properly illuminated. v

The inventionv consists in an illuminated number` plate holder as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claim thereof.

Referring to the drawings 4 Figure 1 represents a plan view of a holder for an automobile license number plate embodying my invention.

'Fig 2 is a yfront elevation of the device, portions thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate certain parts otherwise obscured,y u w m glass of another color at the rear.

Figl is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3' of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating the manner of connecting the electricy light bulbs of two number plate-holdersin series With a dash lamp, thelatter constituting atell-tale lamp anda visible means of keepingl ythe driver of a motor vehicle informed as to whether the number-plates are properly illuminated. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

.p Inl thedrawings, 5 represents a casing embodying therein a central stationary member 6 and a pair of oppositely disposed end members 7. and 8. The casing members are all approximately semi-cylindrical in vform and fit closely together, the members 7 andV Stelescoping upon the member 6, being mounted to slidelongitudinally upon said latter member. 6 hasa curved reflecting surface 9 upon the interior thereof and the end casing members 7 and 8 also have vsimilarly shaped reflecting surfaces upon their interior ywhich form continuations of thev reecting surface of the y" section 6.

The end casing members 7 and 8 are guided during their telescopingy movement by guide members 10 constructed in the form of b'ars which are secured to the' periphery of the member 6 at a central point thereon vand extend longitudinally thereof. Other guide `members 11 are fastened to the periphery of the end members 7 and 8 and extend longitudinally thereof, said guide members 11 being formed of sheet material and closely fitting the guide members 10 and co-operating therewith to guide the casing members'upon each other and hold said casing members in alignment with each other. The end members 7 and 8 are held inposition relatively to the central casing member 6 by a plurality` of thumb screwsy 12 which extendthrough the guide members 11 and have clamping engagement with the guide members 10. y Y,

The central casing member The stationary leasing Vmember, U6 has channel-shaped rim( portions livformed along the upper and lo'vver front edges thereof, said rim portions forming grooves le upon the inner side thereof. rlhe end casing member 7 has a channel-shaped rim portion extending entirely around the front edge thereof and forming a groove 16. The end casing member 8 has a channel-shaped rim portion l? formed along the lower front edge thereof andL forming a groove'lS upon the inner side thereof. The grooves le, 16 and 18`are all located in alignmentjvith each other and cto-operate in forming a continuous groove extending approximately around three sides of the casing 5 and in this groove is located a license number'plate 19- for a motor vehicle, said number plate being perforated as at 2O to form the `numeralsrepre senting `the license number. VA perforated ryear number "21' provideduponthe plate 19 has one number thereof located in a sepafrateplate'QQ Which is interclra'n'g'eableA upon the main 'number plate 19; 'and this plate 22 is changed' once a year providing the owner of the motor'vehiclehas the same license number upon consecutive years.l

Also located in the vgroove in front ofthe numberpl'ate 19 is athin sheet y'of a suitable transparent *material 23, such as isinglass, `and located behind the 'number plate 19 are two plates Manel of colored glassysaid plates being loca-ted edge to edge Within said groove. The plate 24 covers approximately one-halffof the surface of the number plate 19 and is preferably formed of red glass and may, if yit is so desired, be utilized as a tail light for the motor vehicle, a'n'd it vis evident that a circular perforation v'may be formed in the number plate 19in addition to the numerals `that 'are perforated 'therein in order that saidtail Alight may display'a greater amount oflightfif it is so desired.

rlhe plate 25 is preferably formed 'cfg-reen, blue oryellouT glass.

A number plate l9, she'et 'of isin'glass and plates of c'ol'oredglass 24 fandjQ are all inserted Within the grooves of the various casing members through the outer end of the casing membervS, and an angleplat'e 26 is .pivotally mounted at 27 at the front'of the end member 8, said angle plate beingiprovided with a rearwardly ezrtendingiflangeQS which projects beyond the 'end 'ofsaid plates i9, es, el 25 fand'holdsthe same', i'np'lace.

The anglepiate 26 iseianipsd tothegtqpif The stationary casino member '6, hasala'mp socket 30 monntedtherein ata centralpoint thereon, and located Withinsai-d/l-amp solet -is'jan electric light bulb 3l offvvell lrnoivn construction: I '-illuminat'estheinterior'gof tl rg theraysof light are'refle'cted by the refl 'trl`he central casing member 6 has a flange 32 projecting upwardly from the front thereof and the end casing members Z and 8 have similar flanges 33 and 34 respectively also projecting upwardly from the front thereof and said flanges are clamped securely to-l gether by a pair of screws 35. rlhe end casing members Tand 8 have flanges 36 and 37 respectively projecting Ydovvnwardly from the lower front face thereof, and said flanges may be utilized in securing other plates or objects that may be desired to the casing 5. .llraclret's are fastened to the casing mem bers 'Z and 8 at the rear thereof, said brackets V 'being employed forthe purpose of securing the casing f5 to the motor vehicle.

lt'is evident that similar holders should be located at the front andrear of a moto-r vehicle and in ignre il' l havefillustrated diagrammatically a manner of electrically connecting 'the electric light bulbs of ai front Ycasing fr and rear casing B v'in series With an'otlierlainp Vbulb 39 'which may be located uponthe dashboard of the motor vehicle,

said electric light bulbs all being connected plates, the'casing members 7 and 8 are moved vlongitudinally vupon vthe central casing member 6 as 'required to receive the v'number p'l'ate, the latter being removed and inserted through lthe outer end ofthe end member 8, and being held Within the holder'by the angle plate 26. During the telescoping movement of the various casing members, 'the menibers 7 and `8 are guided upon the central casing member tlby vthe guide members l0 and ll and when properly adjusted, 'the various casing members are all `securely ...clamped together by thethumb screws l2.

The various Ycasing members'areialso .clamped together at the 'top thereof bythe vscrews ,35. .l/Vhen Vthe interior of the casing "5v is illumi )hated by manpulatingpthe switch el, theY nunibe'r'pla'te 19 rvWill be brightly illumi hated,` andi the license n'umher of lthe Imot'or vehicle vvillbe fclearlyldisplayed.

l claim A deviceQoflt-he class described comprising,

in' cbmbinatio'in fa casing embodying therein sacentral stationary 'meinbenf'andfa pair of ppositely "disposed 'fend members slidably ated: i; n' :said stationary fnrniber,

a bar rast-n to the periphery Eor =saidf `sta ltionary caslng member and 'exten'dllgilngitudinally thereof, means fast to Said end members and sldable upon said bar and adapted to guide said end members upon said stationary member, means to Clamp Said end members to said stationary member, each of said easing members having grooves provided at the front thereof aligning with each other, a perforated number plate mounted in said grooves, an angle plate pivotally mounted upon one of said end members and adapted to hold said number plate in said grooves, and means to illuminate the interior of said easing.

n testimony Whereot1 I have hereunto set my hand.

ISAAC SHANKMAN. 

